Muhka embeds shared leadership in new management structure
An executive director and an artistic director will together shape the museum’s future
The board of Muhka has chosen a model of shared leadership. An executive director and an artistic director will form a single leadership team, jointly responsible for the museum.
The decision builds on the course the board set in July 2026: Muhka is to become an artistically ambitious museum built around its collection, with collaboration as its driving force. Each director brings distinct expertise, but the two will set the museum’s course together. The artistic director takes charge of artistic direction, the collection and the programme; the executive director of the museum’s organisational, financial and staffing strength. The result is a leadership structure that mirrors the collaborative, networked model Muhka wants to build.
“Muhka has everything it needs for a strong future. We now want to move quickly and appoint the leadership that will shape that future together with the team and a broad network of artists and partners. We will build on the strength of our collection and the rich history of contemporary art in Antwerp, and strengthen Muhka’s position both in Flanders and internationally.”
Yolande Avontroodt, chair of the board
It has been a turbulent year for Muhka. In October 2025 the museum’s long-awaited new building was scrapped, and as part of a wider reform of the museum sector, Muhka’s status as a museum was itself called into question. That decision was reversed this spring, following widespread support for Muhka and protest from across the arts sector: Muhka is a museum and will remain one. Muhka is now navigating a transition process that runs until 2028, aimed at securing a stronger, more sustainable future. On 1 October 2026 it will submit a transition plan to the Flemish government as part of that process.
The artistic director and executive director’s first major task is to draw up, together, a strategic plan for 2029 to 2034, the document Muhka is to submit to the Flemish government in 2028 to secure its structural funding for that period. In 2027, Muhka marks its fortieth anniversary with a programme made together with partners from across the field. The anniversary programme will also offer an early taste of what the museum’s work might look like from 2029 onwards.
Vacancies for both leadership positions will be published in the week of 21 September 2026. Applications close on 1 November 2026. Following an assessment and interviews with the selection committee, the board will decide by the end of 2026. The successful candidates are expected to take up their posts in spring 2027.
About Muhka
Muhka opened in 1987 in Antwerp, Belgium. It holds a collection of international standing, is a founding member of the European museum confederation L’Internationale, and plays a central role in contemporary art in Flanders and beyond.
